GECs
Asianet on ‘routine hiring’
MUMBAI: Malayalam channel Asianet is on a hiring spree. In an advertisement placed in Times of India’s Ascent supplement, dated 6 September, the channel has invited applications from professionals in the fields of finance, human resources, technical operations, programming and journalism.
The vacancies advertised by the channel include chief financial officer, human resources head, chief technical officer, deputy managing editor, assistant vice-president programming and regional managers.
Except for regional managers who will be based in Kochi/ Mumbai, all the above-mentioned positions will be based in Thiruvananthapuram.
The channel has also called for applications from trainees. The positions advertised are executive trainees (marketing, finance, HR/ administration), trainee engineers (networking, transmission, sound engineer/ recordist) and trainee journalists.
Applications may be submitted within seven days by: (a) Online submission (www.asianetglobal.com), (b) By email (hrd@asianetglobal.com) or (c) By post.
When queried if the hiring could be linked to any kind of expansion the channel is planning, an Asianet official answered in the negative and played it down as routine hiring. Asianet, the market leader in Malayalam, also runs a news channel Asianet News.
GECs
Sebi sends show-cause notice to Zee over fund diversion, company responds
Regulator questions 2018 letter of comfort and governance lapses; company vows robust legal response
MUMBAI: India’s markets watchdog has reignited its long-running scrutiny of Zee Entertainment Enterprises, issuing a sweeping show-cause notice that drags the broadcaster and 84 others into a widening governance storm.
The notice, dated February 12, has been served by the Securities and Exchange Board of India to Zee, chairman emeritus Subhash Chandra and managing director and chief executive Punit Goenka, among others. At its heart: allegations that company funds were indirectly routed to settle liabilities of entities linked to the Essel Group.
The regulator’s probe traces its roots to November 2019, when two independent directors resigned from Zee’s board, flagging concerns over the alleged appropriation of fixed deposits by Yes Bank. The deposits were reportedly adjusted against loans extended to Essel Group entities, triggering questions about related-party dealings and board oversight.
A key flashpoint is a letter of comfort dated September 4, 2018, issued by Subhash Chandra in his dual capacity as chairman of Zee and the Essel Group. The document, linked to credit facilities availed by certain group companies from Yes Bank, was allegedly known only to select members of management and not disclosed to the full board—an omission SEBI believes raises red flags over transparency and governance controls.
Zee has pushed back hard. In a statement, the company said it “strongly refutes” the allegations against it and its board members and will file a detailed response. It expressed confidence that SEBI would conduct a fair review and signalled readiness to pursue all legal remedies to protect shareholder interests.
The notice marks the latest twist in a saga that has shadowed the broadcaster since 2019. What began as boardroom unease has morphed into a full-blown regulatory confrontation. The final reckoning now rests with SEBI—but the reputational stakes for Zee, and the message for India Inc on governance discipline, could scarcely be higher.
